Ampilus
Ampilus are desert-dwelling crustaceans indigenous to the Lanayru Desert. They appear to resemble a cross between a mantis shrimp of the genus Squilla and an ammonite, although it seems likely that they are intended to be a species of hermit crab instead, given the very natures of their being. Ampilus are territorially aggressive, and should they spot anything they see as a threat such as Link, they will defend their turf by withdrawing into their shells and rolling at their would-be foe; this is made all the more dangerous as they have the ability to electrically charge their shells, likely through the use of electroplaques. They cannot roll forever however and will eventually cease movement, and while they can alter their own course they have a wide turning radius. Despite this Ampilus are not particularly cautious and should avoid slamming into walls or ledges as this will cause them to recoil and become dizzy, opening them up to retaliation. Their bodies are weak to conventional attacks and they can be snuck up behind, indicating that they do not have particularly great hearing. They also appear to be afraid of mechanical beetles, and upon spotting one will become tense and cease their movement, which unfortunately for them makes them quite susceptible to dropping bombs upon them, killing them in the process. Upon death, they leave their spiral shells which sapient races can use as platforms in order to cross sinksand (a type of quicksand) streams that make up the majority of the Lanayru Desert surface. It would appear that the hollow sections of these shells allow them to float on top of the quicksand, despite their appearing extremely heavy and durable when still being worn. However after an Ampilus' demise their shells appear to quickly disintegrate, crumbling to pieces in mere moments. Ampilus do not like being outside of their own territories, making them difficult to lure away to attack as they will simply burrow into the sand and return to their preferential locations; it is not well understood how they burrow so well despite their cumbersome shells. Life Cycle thumb|An Ampilus Egg. Ampilus appear to take hundreds of years to mature. When in their larval state they exist as rock-like eggs, which periodically crack open so that they can peer around—this egg likely converts into their shell over time. Even at this early life stage they are capable of producing their electrical fields though during this period they use it defensively. 500 years prior to the release of Demise and the founding of Hyrule they were used as a common source of energy by the Technoblins, and were required to power gates that blocked generators in the Lanayru Mining Facility. Etymology The name Ampilus may be a portmanteau of the word ampere, a standard unit of measurement for electrical energy, and nautilus, a type of cephalopod with a spiral shell. Appearances *''The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword'' Category:Legend of Zelda Universe Category:Creatures Category:Fictional Creatures Category:Fauna Category:Non-sapient Beings Category:Carnivores Category:Arthropods Category:Crustaceans Category:Crabs Category:Electric Creatures Category:Video Game Creatures Category:Desert Creatures Category:High Category:Characters Debuting in 2011